By Jerry Fitzpatrick
Daily Herald Sports Writer
Posted Tuesday, July 18, 2006

While most of the Cubs’ starting pitchers struggle to meet expectations, rookie Sean Marshall continues to exceed them.

“For where he’s come from he’s done fine, and he has a chance to get better and better,” pitching coach Larry Rothschild said.

Marshall sports a 5-8 record and a 5.00 ERA on the heels of Sunday’s 13-7 loss to the New York Mets.

In 99 innings, he has allowed 97 hits with 46 walks and 65 strikeouts — not eye-popping statistics but not bad for a rookie pitching on a team 21 games below .500, especially one who was a longshot to even sniff Wrigley Field in 2006.

After an injury-plagued 2004 season in the minors, Marshall’s 2005 season ended in late July because of biceps tendinitis following a combined 14 starts at Class A Daytona and Class AA West Tenn.

  The 23-year-old said he had hoped to get the call to the big leagues at some point this year, but he anticipated spending most, if not all, the 2006 season in the minors.

Plans change.

The 6-foot-7 left-hander opened the Cactus League season by working 10º scoreless innings, a performance that caught manager Dusty Baker’s attention and gave Marshall’s career path significant upward momentum.

With the pitching staff short-handed by injuries to Kerry Wood and Mark Prior, Marshall broke camp as a starter despite limited experience. He toed the rubber for his major-league debut against the St. Louis Cardinals on April 7, a successful no-decision in a Cubs victory.

The Virginia native earned his first major-league victory in his next start at Pittsburgh, and he improved to 3-1 with 6 scoreless innings against Washington on May 17.

“It’s more than I wanted,” Marshall said Sunday of his early emergence. “I wanted to just make it up this year. It’s been a blessing so far to be on this team since April. I’m just trying to contribute and help us win some games and get on solid footing.”

However, the rookie has experienced a bumpier ride the last two months as advance scouts study his every tendency. Since his 3-1 start, Marshall has gone 2-7. There’s a reason for that personal slump that goes beyond the team’s obvious misfortunes.

“Once (a rookie) has been seen once or twice at the major-league level, there are reports on them and not much remains a secret,” Rothschild said. “That’s way different from the minor leagues. He’s learning on the go here. There’s going to be some ups and downs.”

Rothschild said Marshall fell into some bad habits for a time, chiefly, that he was relying too much on his changeup instead of spotting it for strikes.

They’ve been working on re-establishing his fastball the last few weeks, and the results have been encouraging. Marshall earned a win in his previous start at Houston, when he pitched 7 scoreless innings in a 1-0 victory.

He again looked to be in command Sunday against the New York Mets, leading 5-2 into the sixth inning when an error led to an unraveling. Cliff Floyd sank Marshall’s hopes for a victory with a grand slam that barely reached the basket in left field, a ball that would have died on the warning track in most stadiums.

“He’s pitched in this park on some real tough days like (Sunday), which doesn’t make it any easier,” Rothschild said of the 95 degree game-time temperature at Wrigley Field, accompanied by winds blowing straight out at 15 mph.

“I thought he threw the ball exceptionally well. He ran into a problem in the sixth, but they weren’t hard-hit balls, really. He threw good pitches most of the game.

“I thought the recent adjustments he’s made showed more (Sunday) than any other day. He was aggressive with his fastball for strike one, he threw some really good curveballs for strikeouts and mixed the changeup in.

“Earlier in the season he was really using a lot of changeups, almost too much. He’s gotten back to throwing the fastball, and it’s gotten back to where it should be. He’s locating it better because he’s using it more.”

Added Cubs catcher Michael Barrett of the rookie’s performance Sunday: “It was a quality start from Marshall. It just got away from us there (in the sixth inning).”

But Marshall doesn’t expect much to get away from him from this point forward as his poise increases with each outing and each inning.

“I feel completely comfortable being up here,” Marshall said. “I’m confident. I felt I had a pretty good outing (Sunday), and my last outing against the Astros was pretty good. I feel like I’m learning the hitters and learning how to pitch more and more every single day.

“I’m just looking forward to getting the ball and going out there every day.”

A pitcher taking the ball and going out there every time he’s scheduled to pitch? There’s an idea every Cubs fan can embrace.

jfitzpatrick@dailyherald.com